Thought I should write something. For a change.

I looked at my closet today. I looked at my closet and realized that this room, this city, the streets I know and the ones still unfamiliar, the old man I passed on my way home tonight who was walking the golden retriever puppy that has grown up so much in the past three months… I realized that all of these things are my life in Paris. From my ridiculous collection of maryjane shoes to the metro corridors I could know with my eyes closed to the laundry I am putting off doing because I would rather spend the 5 euro on a café crème… These things are my life in Paris. A growing collection of maps from around the world and a cherished collection of letters from home. These things are my life in Paris. Bottles of wine finished over homemade dinners, countless hours planning weekend adventures, the Moroccans, the Mexicans, the Algerians, the Germans, the French, and Spaniards. These things are my life in Paris. The thoughts I’ve thought to myself, the ideas I’ve formulated with others, the plans I’ve dreamed up for my own life, These things are my life in Paris. And to think, all I had to do was look in my closet…
What is this life in Paris? Stories, growth, laughs, problems solved, decisions made; a smaller part of a larger education. Add up the days: ten and a half months. But, this year is significant. It is going to determine my priorities. It has made me passionate about certain things – things I intend to remain passionate about. It has taught me the fine art of listening; although this is an art I still need to perfect. It has taught me how to better express myself when words don’t go far enough. It is going to influence the way I raise my children and the role I play in my own family – present and future. This year in Paris is a fraction of my life; but I cannot find words to express the significance of this fraction. I imagine I won’t know its influence until much, much farther down the road.
That’s all really.
Some people just have epiphanies while looking in their closets.

Family Trip

And then there were those two and a half weeks when my family came out here for Christmas. We managed to see Paris, Nice, Fes, and Barcelona together. It was the most unconventional, yet probably the most memorable Christmas I have had to date. Yet there’s so much to tell, so many pictures to post… I’m going to record that trip separately – I’ll stick to oldschool printed photographs. Which means you’ll just have to make a stop by the Aboussie household in Boulder Colorado to see what we did together. I know… the suspense must be killing you.

Confessions of a Failed Blogger

I can only imagine you have all been sitting on the edge of your desk chairs anxiously anticipating my next riveting entry. And you have probably all but given up on me. Which is fair. I confess, I was not born to blog. But I can’t help but thinking that this will be a great form of documentation, eternally stored in cyberspace, to which I can look back in months, even years after I leave Paris. Thus, I recommence my efforts – feeble as they may be – to document my year abroad.

Where to start?
The weekend after I turned 21, Sam and I went to Dublin. To play, mostly. Stayed in a hostel right in Temple Bar, saw the sights, drank the beer, took a great tour of the Guinness storehouses, and called it a weekend after just three days.


tourists...

Lego land? in Ireland? oh no.. wait. that's the castle...

Guinness Storehouse

mm mm gooooood.

The Irish are probably the most agreeable people I have encountered thus far in my life. After wandering out of our hostel for the first time, wide eyed and in need of a dark frothy brew, we encountered a young man asking us for any spare change. He promptly informed us he “wasn’t trying to be cheeky, but might you lads have a few pence to spare for a fellow in need.” Now I haven’t brushed up on my Irish lately, but I do believe that next to the word ‘cheeky’ in the dictionary, one might find this guy’s picture – blacked out front teeth and all. Still, cheeky or not, the Irish were wonderful to us, and I can’t wait to go back.

me on the hapenny bridge. there is a picture in my house
of my mom standing in this same spot. but she looks radiant,
and a lot less cold...

21... It's A Magic Number...

I should start by saying that, thankfully, I had dear friends to celebrate with me, and as the night went on, to take very good care of me. Special thanks goes out to Kaitlin Bailey and Sam Erickson. Love you guys!!!
So much can be gathered from a photo… so this post will have lots of pictures, and very few words ☺


The "oil can" beer that Tarik gave me.

December 5th, my dear friend Sam arrived in Paris. Just in time for the notorious 21st-birthday-eve. The evening started out with some gifts: the I [heart] PARIS shirt, a couple bottles of wine, various different beers… all of which were sampled in the company of great friends, the comfort of my little shoebox sized room. Then we were off. We made it to a bar called “Frog and Princess” just before midnight. I explained to the bartender that he had exactly two minutes to pour 9 shots before I turned 21. He responded fabulously.

First (Legal?) Drink!

Minutes later, my phone rings. I answer, thinking I’m getting birthday wishes from my Dad. After informing him that I had a mojito in one hand and a beer in the other, and I had just taken a birthday shot in a bar, I realize I’m actually talking to my GRANDPA. (sorry grandpa… for anything else I might have said!!!) I am sure my grandparents envisioned me spending a quiet 21st birthday in Paris, playing tiddlywinks and sipping my first taste of an alcoholic beverage at the stroke of midnight. Sorry to crush the vision grandpa…

Right after talking to grandpa...

We made our way to another bar – famous for its pint-sized long island iced teas. Needless to say, this is where the night gets a little hazy for me… But photos are worth a thousand words! So enjoy.


Enjoying Long Island Iced Teas and dancing with my friend, Cherif

I arrived home safely in my chariot (which may have looked a little more like a shopping cart…)

Oh, they were great...

The next night, December 6th, my friend Tarik hosted a “Global Village” in the building where I live. Essentially it was just a good excuse for everyone to make excellent food from all over the world and make a party out of it. Could I have asked for a better birthday? I submit that I could NOT ☺


The Americans brought some good ol' PB&J's...

And hosted some educational seminars
on University-style Drinking Games. A BIG hit.

Our Moroccan buddies getting the party started at Global Village

Kaitlin: "Tarik. I need a birthday candle to put on

Dani's cake."
Tarik: "No problem. I have candles in my room.
Go find one."
(five minutes later)
Kaitlin: "Tarik, you only have huge scented
candles in big glass jars."
Tarik: "Well why don't you just use my cigarette?"

turns out a lit cigarette is VERY hard to blow out...

More Moroccan Friends...

Thanks to her, my 21st was certainly a birthday to remember

THANKFUL FOR PRAGUE!

Where to begin? I guess I left off before my trip to Prague.
The day before thanksgiving, I flew to Prague to visit friends. Drew Bombard was studying there for the fall semester (which is already finished… notice how behind I am…) and Megan Foster flew in from Cork, Ireland and Claire Hay – winning the prize for traveling the furthest – made an appearance all the way from Boulder. Props to Claire, that’s real dedication.

Reunited!

I arrived the day of Claire’s 21st birthday, so I got to share some of the festivities with her that evening. Drew’s older brother Rob and a few of his friends lead us around to some VERY cool bars and clubs and pints of beer only cost a dollar – a great change coming from Paris! The next day was thanksgiving. It was apparently one of the first sunny days Prague had seen in over a month. Drew made an amazing tour guide, all the while smiling like a giddy little kid at the rare sight of sunshine. We saw most of the sights over the course of the afternoon and I got to meet a few of Drew’s friends.

A graffiti wall dedicated to John Lennon after his death. The
wall is always changing... in the
five days I was there, I saw the

wall twice and already people had
put new artwork over the old.

It is tradition for soldiers to hang a lock on this fence before they leave for war and come back to collect it
when they get home.

Flying Buttresses in Prague!

Perrier made his appearances.

I liked these sculptures: a monument depicting
the destructive effects of a communist regime.

Beautiful sunsets.

Amazing Jewish cemetery - some 100,000
people buried here, but only 12,000 graves
are above ground!

Earlier in the day we had made a reservation for seven at café called the Globe – owned and operated by a CSU alumni! They were making a Thanksgiving feast, and we all knew it was about time we had a good ol’ fashioned gluttonous American meal. What started out as a seven-person table ended up seating almost 20 people: friends, family, and strangers… And we all shared an amazing meal together (complete with a ‘round the table “tell everyone what you’re thankful for” ritual.) It the whole holiday was impromptu, and spontaneous, and spent with great friends, and thus, perfect. We finished the night off at Juvay – the bar under Drew’s dorm. I can see why he had such a great semester.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Friday was spent wandering around town with the girls, doing some shopping, more sightseeing, and trying desperately to keep the San Diego girls from freezing to death. There were some lips turning blue... who thought the Czech Republic in late November was a good idea? But nighttime got a little warmer in a crowded dance club that was hosting 80’s and 90’s night. Good, sweaty, dancetastic, fun.

dinner before dancing

beautiful friends!

Saturday morning, I picked up Kaitlin from the airport (she couldn’t miss out on all the Prague fun!) and I spent the first part of the day attempting to give her a tour of Prague – Drew had shown us a lot!!! And that night, we went out to celebrate Drew’s 21run. An evening spent with lots of friends in several different bars, ending with a very happy Drew in the middle of a Hen Party (euro version of a bachelorette party.)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DREW!

Sunday was a rather sleepy day… trying to recover from the damage done in the previous days. and Claire had both left by Sunday morning, and I think I had just started to realize how great it was to have a little taste of home in the midst of my European adventures… Thanksgiving was a little home away from home.
On Monday, we did dome final sightseeing, wandered through the fantastic Christmas markets, and drank a little more hot wine before we headed off to the airport to fly back to Paris. I can’t say enough how great it was to see Megan, Claire, Drew and Rob too!

GRENOBLE

It’s now the day before my 21st birthday and, as usual, I have a lot of catching up to do! About three weeks ago, I took a trip to Grenoble, France with a couple good friends and a few complete strangers. Tarik, my favorite Moroccan neighbor, invited me to go back in October, and it was an offer I couldn’t turn down. In Grenoble, I met up with three more of Tarik’s friends and one other American guy from my program – three Moroccans, two Americans, and a French guy; five guys and me… it felt like high school all over again! ☺
We spent the weekend in a tiny little chalet in a tiny mountain village outside of Grenoble in the French Alps. It was by far the most relaxing time I have spent thus far in Europe. We romped around the Alps, played games of Monopoly and Rummy late into the night, ate delicious French and Moroccan meals, and laughed… a lot.
I could tell you a million stories from the weekend, mostly hilarious cases of mistranslation from French to English, English to French, or Arabic to English to French… But those might not be appropriate for all readers (I know my blogging fans are plentiful and diverse. Ha ha… hi mom and dad.) So instead, I’ll just post pictures.

Two shots of the view from our Chalet

Tarik and Sean

AMAZING Moroccan meal: Couscous

Perrier enjoying dinner with us

one of the many Monopoly games...

the whole crew, departing on a hike

great views everywhere

A better look at the tiny village where we stayed

my favorite picture of Tarik

singing songs in Arabic

There were definitely more sheep than people in our village...

Edelweiss, Edelweiss... The whole
place was very "sound of music"

Happy Dani in the mountains... I can't wait to go back.